Kurojochû
by Ricky Otaku
Summary: She has been sold to a slave market by the assassin of her family. Now she wants revenge, and to achieve it, she's even ready to sold her soul to the Devil...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is a story I wanted to write since a while. It's an original story set in the same universe as Black Butler, but with originals characters. English isn't my first language so it's possible that I made some mistakes. Anyway, I hope you'll like it!**

 **Warning: Contains strong languages and attempted rape.**

* * *

Clemence heard an awful creak when the man who was kicking her managed to break her leg. The young girl was lying on the ground, severely beaten. Her body was covered with bruises and scratched due to all the hits she had received from her captors.

A corpse was near them. Clemence was the one who killed him. He was a rich English nobleman who she had been sold to. To escape from this fate, she had stabbed him with a knife she had managed to steal before he could touch her.

The men who were beating her were slaves' owners. They were quite angry with how the situation went, and they made it clear by the brutal treatment they gave to the poor girl. She didn't even have the strength to scream or cry anymore.

"Shit, we beat her too hard. We won't be able to sell her before a while…" one of the men said.

"Forget about that! That little bitch killed an important customer, and he didn't even pay before dying! She deserves a severe punishment!"

After saying that, the slaves' owner took the knife and began to cut Clemence's clothes.

"Wait! We kept her intact for six months, it would be a waste to take her maidenhead. It makes her more valuable, we couldn't sold her for the same prize if…"

"I don't care! That fucking cunt made us lose a lot of money, I don't care about her anymore. She's too undisciplined to be sold anyway, so at least we can have some fun with her and teach her where her place is."

The other men seemed to agree. Her captors began to tear off her clothes, showing clearly what their intents were.

" _God…why are you allowing this? The only reason I can find is…because you don't exist. Or you are a cruel god. Either way, I won't pray to you. I would rather pray to the Devil than you…_ " Clemence thought bitterly.

When she saw the men beginning to remove their belts, she began to panic.

"No…don't…save me…anybody, saves me! Helene…saves me!" Clemence shouted.

But she knew it won't accomplish anything to call help from her deceased older cousin. But in her current situation, Clemence was ready to accept anybody's help.

It's at this moment she saw a black entity, standing near the corpse. It looked like a shadow, with red eyes and sharp teeth.

"What a disgusting soul I had to eat…who's the one who summoned me with this low-tier offering?" the shadow asked with a deep and terrifying voice.

The men suddenly stopped what they were doing, looking with fear the black entity.

"I…please, save me! I'll do anything, but please, help me!" Clemence begged.

She knew that whatever this thing was, it wasn't human. But she didn't care. It could be a ghost, a monster, a _demon_ , Clemence was still willing to ask it's help. Anyone who could save her was welcome.

"So you are the human who dared to summon me with this disgusting soul…which you killed by yourself. It's impressive for the weak little girl you are." the entity said.

The shadow approached from her, while the men began to recoil. The dark entity seemed to be looking at her with some kind of curiosity in their eyes. It then kneeled near her.

"You said that you'll do anything to be saved…would you be ready to sell me your soul in exchange of my help?"

Suddenly, the shadow grabbed her by the neck, slightly strangling her.

"Y…yes…you can…have my soul…but please…save me…kill those who…are responsible for my enslavement!" Clemence managed to ask.

"Very well. The contract is sealed. At least I could remove the disgusting taste in my mouth with your soul…"

The shadow released her and Clemence felt a terrible pain on her neck. In a fraction of second, all of her captors were lying on the floor, dead.

"I also killed the other slaves' owners who weren't here…" the shadow said. "Well, it seems that the contract is done. Now, I'll take your soul…"

The black entity began to approach its hand from Clemence. The young girl closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate. At least she could die worthily, without being raped.

"No…those weren't the ones who are responsible for your enslavement. Did you try to trick a demon?"

Clemence opened her eyes with shock. So this thing was really a demon, and it seemed furious, which caused her to be afraid.

"No, I didn't…but…it means that the contract isn't over, right? So…you can't have my soul…you have to serve me until my vengeance is accomplish!"

She was utterly terrified by this demon, but if she had a chance to survive, Clemence was ready to take the risk.

"You know, right now I could ripe you apart, and eat your soul in the most painful way possible. But I won't do it. Right now, your soul doesn't seem appetizing, it's too pure for my taste. I accept to serve you until you find the ones who are responsible for you enslavement, and I'll kill them. You should be grateful that a demon such as myself accepted to serve a pitiful and arrogant human such as you…but I must admit, the pain I see in your eyes is quite alluring…I've the feeling that by your side, I'll be able to witness a lot of human's misery and suffering."

The demon appearance suddenly began to change.

"Now, let me take an appropriate form as a servant, an appearance that should satisfy you."

The demon weren't a shadow anymore. What was standing in front of Clemence was a tall woman, with short black hair, with the fringe longer on one side, and vermillion eyes. The demon was dressed as a maid.

"What's your name, human?"

"I'm…Cle…Clay Ombrit. And you, demon? How should I call you?"

"I'm now serving you, so you can give me the name you want. Earlier, you were calling a certain Helene? Were you referring to me?"

Clemence remembered it. Helene was her cousin, the person she loved the most, and who was unfortunately dead. She died because of those who are responsible of her enslavement, she died while protecting her. Helene's murderer was also one of those she needed to get revenge on.

"No, Helene is dead. She's no longer here to protect me. Now it's you who will, and your name will be…Helena!"

"Very well, call me Helena. So, oujo-sama, what do you expect from me until your vengeance is completed?"

"I…I want you to protect me! To serve me! And to always remained loyal to me!"

Unable to stand up due to her broken leg, Helena gently lifted Clemence from the ground and made her sit on a chair, before she kneeled in front of her. A sly smirk appeared on the demon's lips.

" _À vos ordres, maîtresse*_ "

* * *

 ***At your command mistress or Yes, mistress in french.**

 **Unlike Black Butler, this story is set in France (at the same time)**

 **Kurojochû means Black Maid.**

 **I came with this idea because I really like Kuroshitsuji, but I'm more into yuri than yaoi, so I wanted to do a similar story but with shojo-ai subtext instead. I hope you liked it! Tell me in a review if you want this story to continue and don't hesitate to fav or follow if you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi there! It's been a while since I wrote the first chapter. I decided to continue this story. I hope you'll like it!**

* * *

"He-Helene...save me, Helene!"

When she heard her mistress calling for help, the demon did nothing. She simply continued to patrol the house. As long as Clemence hasn't called her name, she won't come to help her. She knew that when her mistress was calling the name of her deceased cousin, nothing serious was happening, and she didn't want her to take the habit to call that name instead of hers when she was in danger.

"Hel...Helen...HELENA!"

This time, it didn't even take a second for the demon to be in Clemence's bedroom. Her mistress was currently in her bed, shivering and sobbing in her sleep. She was a young 16 years old girl with long blonde hair that reached slightly under her shoulders and light brown eyes. Helena sighed, before gently shaking her shoulder to wake her up. Clemence woke up with a jolt and looked terrified, until she noticed her maid's presence. She looked at her with her eyes full of tears.

"He-Helena, I...I had a nightmare..." Clemence said with a shaky voice.

"Again? No need to worry, as long as I'm by your side, nothing bad can happen to you, and I do not intend to leave you." Helena said softly.

After the demon had said those words, the young girl immediately looked reassures and calmed down. Helena took a tissue and proceeded to wipe the tears on her mistress' face.

" _Human are so weak. Those pitiful animals can be easily shaken just by a mere nightmare. It is hard to believe that they managed to become the dominant specie on Earth._ " Helena thought with contempt.

She disposed of the tissue and headed towards the door. But before she could leave, her mistress called her.

"Helena...could you...stay with me tonight? Until I woke up."

The demon knew she would ask her that. She always does when she had a nightmare. But the maid still waited for her to ask, otherwise Clemence might take the habit to don't ask anymore and it would be complicated for Helena to always have to guess what she wanted from her. She had to make sure her mistress will always speak clearly about what she wanted.

"Of course. I am here to serve you. Your wish is my command."

Helena went back to the bed and gazed at her mistress. Clemence slightly lift her blanket and pat her bed in an inviting gesture. This time, Helena didn't wait for a vocal request. With that kind of gesture, there wasn't much room for any guessing, it was pretty clear what the demand was.

The demon removed her shoes and laid in her mistress bed. She didn't need to sleep, but if it was what Clemence desired, then she couldn't refuse. The young girl turned around, showing her back to her maid.

"Helena...could you take me into your arms?"

Her mistress wasn't always asking for that, which meant that this time, her nightmare must have been quite frightening. Helena slipped one of her arm under Clemence and wrapped the other around her waist. She couldn't help but thinking how easy it would be to just crush her fragile body right now. But it was too soon for that.

" _...what kind of relationship she had with her cousin?_ "

Helena felt that Clemence was now asleep. But according to her mistress order, she had to remain there until she woke up. The demon sighed. It was going to be a long night for her.

* * *

"Have you finished, milady?" Helena asked.

Looking at the wall, the demon maid was waiting for her mistress to finish getting dressed. Even if they were both women, Clemence was a prudish girl, she didn't like to be seen without the amount of cloth she found acceptable. Even if it was Helena who picked her clothes, her mistress dressed by herself.

"I am decent." Clemence replied.

"Decent? Are you talking about your moral standard or your clothing? Because if it is the first one, you are lying, and I know you are not a liar so I would be really concern about your mental health."

"Context Helena, context. I was clearly talking about my clothes."

"Forgive me milady, but just saying that you were decent was not enough. I clearly asked you if you had finished, I expected a yes or a no."

"...fine. Yes, I am finished. You can turn back." her mistress said with a sigh.

Helena turned back. Clemence was wearing a white long-sleeves shirt, with a brown skirt and black tights. Her usual style, which was why Helena picked those. Her mistress liked to dress with a more serious style, as well as modestly.

"Now there is just one thing left to put." the demon maid said as she approached from her mistress.

When she reached Clemence, Helena looked at her neck, or rather, the contract seal on the right side. A mark that was linking them together, as well as something the demon often regretted. She didn't except to get dragged into a long-term contract, she thought that it would be an easy soul to eat. But at the same time, taking the time to cook a soul for once could worth it.

Helena used a red scarf to hide Clemence's contract seal. She gently wrapped the tissue around her mistress's neck, making sure it wasn't too tight, to not strangle her, as well as not to loose so it could fall. When she was done, she made the young girl sat on a chair and equipped herself with a hairbrush. She carefully brushed Clemence's smooth hair, and after she separated it in two pigtails that she tied up near her mistress' neck, leaving them both hanging in front of Clemence's shoulders.

"I am done." Helena said.

"Good. Now can we have breakfast?"

"Of course, I will take care of it without further ado."

* * *

"Is the tea to your liking, milady?"

Clemence took a sip of her tea, before putting it back on the table.

"It is drinkable." her mistress replied as she continued to read the newspapers, like she always does after breakfast.

Suddenly, she noticed a gleam of interest in Clemence's eyes, as well as a slight smirk.

"Is there anything funny?" Helena asked.

"Uh? Not really. There is an article about a young woman found beaten to death."

"...and this is what makes you smile? I did not thought you were the type of person who laugh at people's misery."

"What? Of course not. I am not you. It is just that usually the articles are so boring and uninteresting, but an article about a murder...I cannot help but being intrigued. It must because I have the blood of a detective flows in my veins. I am anticipating the possibility that I might have to solve that kind of case. Just to think about it...it makes my blood boils from excitement."

Clemence's late mother was a detective. The young girl had recently took over her mother's business, a detective agency, in her hometown. It had been three years since Helena became her maid. During those three years, they traveled in France, and even in other counties, searching for those Clemence sought revenge against. After three years of vain researches, her mistress had decided to come back to her hometown to be a private detective, like her mother. Clemence thought that it was the best way to gain experience in investigation, and maybe even stumble on a case linked to those who were responsible of her enslavement. Or better, they would come to finish the job and Helena would eliminate them.

"You should cool down a little, milady. For the moment you are far from solving that type of case. The best job you had since you became a detective was to find the lost pet of some rich guy."

"Which brought me a lot of money and a good reputation. Lot of other rich clients came to see me for their problems. Building a good reputation is important if I want to one day receive more serious jobs."

"I hope so, because I am tired to look for lost pets. I sadden me."

"Uh? Sadden...you? How?"

"Those poor animals were desperately trying to escape from their human captor and go back to their natural habitat. But they were forced to return to their imprisonment like they were mere accessories for those cupid humans."

"What...are you really sad?"

"No. Demons can't feel that emotion. But somehow, I can relate to them."

"Oh, so you view yourself as my pet. Interesting." Clemence said with a smirk.

" _You brat._ " Helena thought, before speaking out loud. "Of course not. I am no mere pet, I do not belong nor be captive to you. I am just your loyal servant until our contract is over. And then, you know what will happen to you..."

"You will eat my soul. But until then, as you say you are my servant. So you will do as I say and continue to look for pets if it is what brought me money."

Helena didn't add anything. She didn't really care about those pets, but doing something that was pleasing humans, especially those she despised the most, was bothering her. But Clemence was right. She was her servant and therefore, had to obey. Helena comforted herself by thinking that it worth it, since in the end she might be able to eat for once a human soul that will taste good.

"Until now all I did has been to eat human soul as soon as they summon me. I never tried to actually make a long-term contract, this is a first time for me. Eating those soul was like eating raw meat. I need to cook it first. Her soul is still pure, I just have to darken it enough, but not too much, otherwise it would be like eating burned meat. A slightly grilled meat would be better, one that is still bloody...that is the type of human soul I want to eat. This girl...have this potential of soul. It is up to me to cook her well."

Helena licked her lips just at the thought of eating a tasty soul. She allowed herself this gesture, since Clemence was still reading the newspapers. The latter finished her tea and reading, before getting on her feet.

"Let see if we had received any mails." Clemence said.

* * *

"You put everything out of order! Stop messing with my stuff!"

"Uh!? That's your fault for keeping your office way too clean. I needed something and I couldn't find it, and you weren't there so I serve m'self."

"It isn't that complicate to find things here! Everything is kept in a logical classifying, it's not my fault if you're too dumb to understand it."

"What did ya say!? There's only a maniac like you who can possibly understand that freaking classifying!"

Helena and Clemence were witnessing a fight between two women in the secretariat. One of the was a woman with long chestnut hair and glasses, clothed in a professional way (shirt, tie, long skirt) and was in her mid-twenty. The other was a middle aged woman and had shoulder length brown hair with on top of them a lumberjack hat, and was clothed like coachman.

"Well, that's the point since it's MY office!" the chestnut haired woman said.

"All those stuff doesn't just belong to you, it's for everyone who's working here. You're just being selfish and keep everything to you!"the middle aged woman replied.

"Then just ask for my help and I'll find you what you need."

"You weren't there!"

"Then just wait, don't be so impatient!"

"Then do you job properly! You're a secretary, so be in the secretariat when we need you!"

"Why would you care? You're just a coachman, you're only needed when we have to go somewhere. So why are you still here?"

"In case I'm needed. Otherwise I'm just staying outside and act as a porter, to keep the place safe."

"You don't need to do this, I'm the secretary, I'm in charge of receiving visitors. You will only frighten them, you meathead!"

"Shut up, you nerd!"

"Drunkard!"

"Maniac!"

"Estelle, Jackie! Enough with the fighting. What is going on?" Clemence suddenly asked.

The two women suddenly calmed down when they saw the young girl.

"Ah, miss Clay! It's all Jackie's fault! She messed with the classifying of my office!" Estelle complained.

Clemence looked around. The secretariat was as clean and maniacally tidy as it always been.

"I...don't see anything wrong here." the young girl admitted.

"What...what are you saying!? Don't you see the mess this colonist have done?"

It was Helena's turn to search for the "mess". She found it quickly and pointed Estelle's desk.

"That book...I am sure it should not be on your desk, am I right?" the maid said.

"Yes! Finally someone who notice! Thank you Helena! And it's not just that, the other books there! They are all out of order! I've to reorganized them again..."

Even Helena couldn't have notice that. There was really just Estelle who could understand the way they were suppose to be classified. Both Estelle and Jacqueline (nicknamed Jackie) had been chosen by Helena to work with Clemence. Estelle was a French woman who came from a scholar family, she was once studying to become a librarian. But she ended up working as a spy for some group, and when this group was dissolved, when ended up as a thief. Jackie was from an old colony of France that had been conquer by England, named Canada. She used to be a jockey back in her homeland, but she got into trouble and had to flee from her country, and went to France. Both of them ended up in Clemence hometown, desperate to find a stable job. That's how Helena put her claw on them. They both had nothing to lose, they know how to fight and handle weapon, and they were both women. Due to her past, Clemence was uncomfortable around adult men, not that she hated them or treat them differently, but Helena knew she would feel more at ease if her employee were women. Helena wanted people who could protect and help her mistress.

"Estelle, there is only you who can understand the classifying here. That is why I need you here, to guide everyone. And because I have no time to lose searching." Clemence began to say. "And you Jackie, I know Estelle is a little bit obsessive with this, but it is her job. And yours is to guard outside and protect us from potential threat. Both of you are important for this place, so please stop arguing."

Both Estelle and Jackie looked at Clemence with sparkes of admiration in their eyes.

"Ah, miss Clay! You're so mature for your age! It's admirable!" the secretary exclaimed.

"So pure! I'm almost blinded by the sight of something as pure as Clay!" Jackie added.

They were both refering to Clemence as "Clay". It wasn't only as a nickname. Officially, it was now Clemence's name. The young girl used it because it was a masculine name. Some people were distrustful of a female detective, so this name got her more easily clients. Once they met her, they usually realized that she was a competent detective.

"Clay! Good morning!" a masculine voice suddenly said.

Helena sighed when she heard that voice. It belonged to the last employee, and the only one she didn't choose. A young man with short light brown hair and a frank smile approached them. It was Alphonse, Clemence's 14 years old half-brother. He was the illegitimate son of Clemence's father, born from adultery. For some reason Helena found hard to understand, when her mistress learned about his existence after her parents' death, she did everything to meet him and even hired him as her assistant, against Helena's advise. Alphonse was an honest boy, who believed in justice and dream to become an inspector. The type of person the demon considered that would die young.

"Ah, Al, good morning." Clemence replied stoically.

Despite being younger than his half-sister, Alphonse was taller from at least one head. He looked at Helena with a shy smile.

"G-Good morning, Helena."

"Good morning, milord." Helena replied politely.

The thing Helena disliked the most about him was is obvious crush on her. She couldn't care less about the futile affection a hairless monkey had for her, especially coming from who she considered to be a quixotic airhead.

"Estelle, is there any mails today?" Clemence asked.

"Just one. Here." the secretary replied as she handed a letter to Clemence.

The young girl opened it and began to read it. A grin suddenly appeared on her mistress' face.

"Milady? What is it?" Helena asked.

"Our first serious case. It is from a potential client. His wife died in a carriage accident. But somehow...he is convinced that it was not an accident, that his wife...had been murdered."

* * *

 **At first Clay and Helena were supposed to be alone, but someone made me realized it would be more interesting if she had other servants, or rather, employees.**

 **If you like it don't hesitate to follow/fav or leave a review, and thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

"So you think your wife had been murdered. Would you mind explained us why you think that?" Clay asked.

A middle-aged man was sitting in front of her desk, gazing at her with confusion. He was dressed in a sophisticated way, showing that he was a wealthy man. Helena was also in the room, standing near the door.

"Is there a problem, mister?" Clay said.

"Oh, uh...no, it's just that, well, when I heard of you, I thought you would be...a man."

"I see. You were not expecting that the detective Clay Ombrit would be a young girl. I got that often. My name does not help either. But worry not, I am well qualified as a detective. I am sure that if you chose to write me a letter, it is because you heard good things about me."

"Oh, but I was not trying to doubt your qualification, I am just...surprised. I did hear good things about you from some friends of mine that you had help, and since you have your own office and even employees, I assume that you are indeed a qualified detective."

"Then, now that we concluded that, let's get to the main point. In your letter, you wrote that you think your wife had been murdered. Is that right? My condolences." Clay asked.

"Y-Yes. She...the police concluded that she had a carriage accident, but I cannot believe it. Our coachman was a competent man, I cannot think that we could have an accident. Unfortunately, he died too. I am sure someone made this accident happened, to kill my wife."

Clay took the time to think about this case. At first glance, it seemed to just be a widower who hadn't accept the death of his wife, unable to accept that it was just an accident and instead, wanted to blame a nonexistent culprit. But, as a professional, Clay had to acknowledge any lead, even the most improbable one, if she wanted to find the truth.

"Do you have any proof that you were wife was murdered? Or any reason to think that someone could have been after her life?" Clay asked.

"Well, not really...but I do have a suspect." the man replied.

"Oh, really? Who?"

"The man in white."

"...care to tell me more about him? And why did you not go see the police if you already had a doubt on someone?"

"Because...I never met him. And I do not know his name. But my wife, she...some days before her death, she told me that there was a man, dressed all in white, that was following her. She said...that everywhere she looked, he was there, staring at her. He even tried to court her. I am telling you, this man...he was angry because she rejected him so he killed her."

"So you think this man in white murdered your wife. Considering the circumstances of her death, it would be hard for someone to have killed her, but not impossible. I could inspect the carriage to see if there is any sabotage, as well as look at the autopsies of your wife and your coachman."

"Thank you, miss Ombrit. You are the only one who is giving be the benefit of the doubt. Here is my address. Send me a letter as soon as you have news about this case." the widower said as he left a piece of paper on Clay's desk.

"Of course. I will start my investigation as soon as possible."

With a satisfied expression, he left her office. When he was gone, Helena approached her with an annoyed expression.

"You know that there is no way that his wife was murdered, right? He is just a foolish man who cannot get over a single death." her maid complained.

"Perhaps, but he already paid half of my fee. If I want to have the other half, I need to at least try to investigate. And who knows, maybe she was really murdered. Anyway, it would not be good for my reputation if I refuse a case before trying to investigate. Now get ready, we will have to break inside the police station as well as the morgue if we want to get clues."

* * *

"Well, it was a real waste of time." Helena commented.

Clay and her maid had finished to investigate the carriage of the accident, as well as the corpses. There was no signs of sabotage on the carriage, and from the autopsies, neither of the client's wife or the coachman were either poisoned, intoxicated or under the influence of drug. Helena even confirmed it with her demon's sense of smell.

"According to the police report, the coachman lost the control of his horse and the carriage fell in a ravine," Clay began to say. "Since the coachman was not under the influence of some drug, then the culprit could not have drugged him to cause an accident."

"Culprit? Milady, do not tell me you actually believe that it was a murder...did we not just find the evidence that it was truly an accident?"

"We found proof that if there is a culprit, then this person did not use drugs to cause an accident or any sabotage. And we also found out that the coachman was not drunk, which is technically a clue that is against the accident theory in a sense, if he was as good as my client said. So there are two options: it was really an accident, or it was a murder. The culprit could have frightened the horse or put a trap on the road, and then removed it. There are still options for the murder theory, and as a detective I have to investigate all the leads before coming up with a conclusion. And I did find an interesting clue in the wife's belonging that had been found in her pocket."

Clay took out something from her pocket and showed it to Helena.

"...a napkin?" the maid said.

"Not just a regular napkin. This one has a logo on it, this napkin was taken from a specific place. Wherever the wife was before the accident, it is possible that she got that napkin there. It also a possibility that she saw this man in white there, and that he is related to this place. This is the next place we should investigate."

"I see, you are after this mysterious man in white. I do believe he is only a stalker, but perhaps it would satisfy your client if we find him."

They both went back to their carriage, where Alphonse and Jackie were waiting for them. Estelle had stayed at the office in case someone visited them during their absence, and to continue the paperwork.

"So how did it go?" Alphonse asked.

"If you want to know so much, you should have come with us." Clay replied.

"But...what you did was...you know, illegal."

"Fare point. But this harmless break of the law did bring us an interesting. This napkin belonged to the client's wife." Clay explained.

"Hey, I know that logo. It's from a tavern." Jackie suddenly commented.

"Of course you would know that. Well then, I think it settle how next destination." Clay said as she went inside the carriage.

* * *

The tavern was far from being a seedy one. There was a nice bar, some tables, few games and even a dance floor with musicians. It wasn't what Clay expected. She didn't really have a good opinion of taverns, so she was expecting to see a disgusting place full of drunkards. But it wasn't the case. Most of the customers seemed to be rather wealthy.

"This is...cleaner then I thought." Clay said.

"Well after this place do possess napkins with their own logo, so it couldn't be a cheap tavern." Alphonse commented.

"Jackie, I hope you are not thinking about drinking. Do not forget you are our coachman." Helena warned.

"Of course I ain't gonna drink! I don't do that when I'm on duty."

"Anyway, even if the man in white is not here, maybe there is some people who know him and could give us information about him. Let's split up to talk to people and find clues." Clay proposed, or rather, ordered.

Without complaining, her employees walked away, to accomplish what they came for. Clay started to look around, actually searching for someone clothed in white.

"Excuse me, miss," a masculine voice said.

Clay turned back, to discover a brown haired young man who appeared to be in his twenties. He was well dressed, but was average when it came to beauty. He was smiling at her in a friendly way.

"Yes?" Clay asked, suspicious.

"Oh, sorry to bother you, I was just...would you like a drink?" the young man offered politely, yet with a nervous voice.

"I do not drink, but thanks...hey, have you seen a man dressed in white?"

"Uh? Perhaps, but you know...I might be more willing to talk if...you give me something in exchange. How about...a dance with me."

As he said that, the man approached him. Instinctively, Clay recoiled.

"No, I...I do not know how to dance."

"Oh, come on, it's not that hard...I'll teach you."

This time, the man walked faster and managed to grab her arm. Not in a violent way, but still, it was well enough to freeze Clay. It always happened when an adult man touched her. Flashes of memory from her past came up in her mind, memories of her enslavement, of those slaves owners who abused her. It was a reflex she couldn't control.

"Helen...a." Clay managed to whispered.

Not even a second later, her maid was at her side. Helena immediately pushed his hand away from her mistress.

"Mister, would you mind not touching her? Milady does not like to be touched by men."

"Uh? What a maid is doing here? And what do you mean by that? That I'm disgusting!?"

"Well, if you want my personal opinion, then yes, you are disgusting." Helena replied coldly.

Visibly offended, the young man raised his fist. Clay hid behind Helena, which seemed to infuriate him even more.

"Why are you running from me?! I was being nice, why you're hiding behind that...bitch!"

"Hey what's going on?" Jackie asked, worried.

"It's none of your business, get lost." the man replied rudely.

"Not my business? I work for that girl. If you're bothering her, then I won't hesitate to kick you ass."

"What!? Do you really think I'm afraid of you? You're just a woman, what could you do against a man..."

"Then how about I deal with you. My sister said you no, so stop bothering her." Alphonse intervened.

The young man was now surrounded by Helena, Jackie and Alphonse. The man shivered a little, while looking upset.

"Fine! I don't care anymore. But you don't know what you're missing." he said as he walked away, clearly pissed.

When he was far from them, Clay stopped hiding behind Helena's back and joined her employees.

"We heard that you seemed in trouble so we came to see what was going one." Jackie explained.

"That jerk...he'll certainly never find a wife if he's acting that way." Alphonse commented.

"You two, Helena...thank you," Clay said sincerely. "So, have you found anything...?"

But before she could finish her sentence, Clay noticed a particular man sitting at the bar.

"Never mind, I found him. The man in white..." she said as she approached from the bar.

Sitting at the bar, there was a man all dressed up in white. But he wasn't just dressed in white. He was literally all white. His skin was abnormally pale, his hair was short and hair, and he was wearing a white suit.

"Excuse me, is that place taken?" Clay asked, pointing at the seat next to him.

The man turned back. He was wearing square-framed glasses and his eyes were red. Despite his manly outfit, he had a rather delicate face that gave him a feminine vibe, and was quite elegant. The man in white seemed at first confused, but quickly he smiled politely.

"No, you can sit. I would never deny a sit to a lady." he replied.

With some suspicions, Clay sat next to him, while keeping some distance with him.

"Would you want a drink?" he asked nicely.

"I do not think I am old enough to drink."

"Then how about a cup of milk?"

"I am not that young either..."

"Of course. You are definitely not a child. Sorry if I offended you," he said, before he looked at her with attention. "Nice trench coat by the way. Would you mind giving me your name?"

"Should you tell me yours first before asking mine?"

"Ah, you are right. How rude of me. My name is Blanchard."

"I am Clay Ombrit."

"Clay? Is it not a masculine name?"

"Perhaps, but it is my name regardless."

Blanchard took a sip of his drink, before glancing at Clay in a rather seductive way, which put the latter a little bit uncomfortable.

"Your white hair and those red eyes, as well as your skin...could you be...an albinos?"

"I see you know about this condition. Yes, I have albinism."

"Is it why you are dressed all in white?"

"Well, my tie is light gray, but I see what you mean. Let say that unlike some people who would see my condition as an illness, I personally view it as one of my charming point, and I want to accentuate it with my clothing."

For the moment Blanchard didn't strike her as the stalker type, or the type who could kill. He sure do act like a womanizer. But, her client did report a man in white as a potential suspect for the death of his wife, so she had to try finding out if he was really the culprit. She pulled out a picture from her pocket and showed it to him.

"Do you know this woman?" Clay asked.

"Let me see...Oh, yes, I know her! I heard she died recently in an accident, how tragic. She...wait, why are you asking me that?"

"Because I know her husband, and he told me that...a man in white was stalking his wife before her death."

Blanchard remained impassive for few seconds, before he suddenly let out a slight laugh.

"What is funny?"

"Oh, nothing. It is just that...did he really claim that? That I was stalking his wife? Sounds like a excuse a man would say to not look like a cuckold."

"What do you mean by that? Was his wife...cheating on him?"

"Not from what I know. She did spend some time with me here, nothing more. Her husband must just be the jealous type who cannot accept his wife to be friendly with other men. It is not my fault if her wife preferred to spend time with a gentleman such as myself rather than a possessive man. How does it matter? She is dead now. I do not know what he is trying to accomplish by discrediting me, but it is quite childish of him."

Clay took the time to think about Blanchard response. He didn't even seem to realize that he was suspecting of murder, he only thought that the husband was attacking is reputation out of jealousy. Either he was really good at acting, or he was truly innocent.

"Very well. Then I will return to my em...my friends." Clay said as she stood up.

"Wait!"

Before she could walk away, Blanchard suddenly rose up and grabbed her hand. Clay immediately froze, but it wasn't the same as when the other man touched her earlier. She did feel uncomfortable to be suddenly touched by Blanchard, but somehow, it didn't cause her to remind her horrible past. It was just the same as anyone who wasn't an adult men (except Helena) who touched. She just didn't like it. She turned her head towards him, and he released her.

"Ah, sorry. I should not have touched you without asking first. That was ungentlemanly of me. Forgive me."

"It...it is fine. I just don't like to be touched."

"I see. Then I will not insist. All I wanted to say was that, I do not know what this man is accusing me of, but he is wrong. He needs to overcome is wife's death, and it is not by accusing others that he will manage to do that."

"I...yes, you are right."

"Well then, if you excuse me, but my date had arrived. I have a lady to entertain."

"Oh, you were not here alone?"

"Me, alone? Of course not. There is no way I would be in a place like that alone, or else I would be busy courting ladies, not just be sitting on my own. I was only waiting for her to arrive."

Blanchard began to walk away, before he turned back to look a Clay with a charming smile.

"I hope I will have the chance to see you here someday. You may not like to be touched, but we could still dance close, or take a drink."

"Is not it a little bit impolite to say me that when there is a girl who is literally waiting for you at few meters of you?"

"Uh, perhaps, but...well, you never know what will happen later. I may be free in a couple of days." he replied, before winking at her.

Blanchard finally went to meet up with his date, who was a beautiful young woman.

"Wow, what a ladykiller...and I mean in as a player, not a...you know, an actual killer." Alphonse commented.

Clay realized that her group had joined her as soon as Blanchard left.

"So, how did it go with him?" Jackie asked.

"I do not feel like he is a murderer, but I will keep an eye on him. What about you, had you found something?" Clay asked.

"Other than the fact he's always flirting with women and acting like the perfect gentleman, not really." Alphonse replied.

Suddenly, Helena approached Clay with a concern expression.

"This man, he touched you...why did you not ask my help?" the maid asked.

"I...I just did not feel that bad with him. Sure I did not like it, but...he did not frighten me as much as other men. Perhaps it is because he looks so delicate and feminine? Or because he looks young? Anyway, it does not matter. It is getting late, we should got back to the office. There is nothing more we can do here. I think you were really right Helena. It does seem like it was just an accident and the husband cannot simply accept the death of her wife."

* * *

"CLAY!"

The young detective almost dropped her fork when Alphonse suddenly went inside her dining room without knocking, yelling and running with a newspaper in his hand. He stopped right next to Clay and began to pant heavily, like he had run for a while. Helena glanced at him with annoyance.

"Milord, milady is still having breakfast. She has not start to work yet."

"I know, I'm really early, but I've good reason! Remember what happened in the tavern couple of days ago? Well, check at this article..."

"But I usually read it after my breakfast, while drinking tea." Clay replied.

"You need to read it now, it's important I swear!"

Clay sighed. Her half-brother could be really impatient sometimes, especially when he personally considered something as important. To not lose time arguing with him, Clay took the newspaper and started to read the page Alphonse was showing her.

"Uh? Another woman beaten to death? How is it so important that I'd to stop my breakfast to read it now?" Clay asked with some annoyance.

"Look at the picture! You don't recognize her?"

Clay look at the picture carefully. She then realized what Alphonse meant when she indeed recognized the woman who had been murdered.

"But this is...yes, I had seen her. She was the girl with whom Blanchard had a date in the tavern."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello there! It's been a while since I have updated this story, but I'm back! I hope you're still interested in this fic.**

* * *

"Excuse me, may I ask you a few questions?"

The young man looked at Clay with suspicion. Clay and Helena were near a little farm, the young man was a farmer.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Just to ask you some question regarding your sister's death," Clay said.

"I already told the police everything I know," he replied, kind of annoyed.

"I'm a private detective. I'm currently investigating a murder case, and turns out that your sister's death may be related to my current case."

"Uh? You? A detective? But you're just a little girl," the farmer replied, doubtful.

Clay felt like this man was looking down on her. She got that often, but it was still frustrating. She finally stumbled on a real case, something that could be really beneficial to her detective career and her reputation, she wasn't going to give up so easily.

"I can assure you that I'm a competent detective who had many satisfied clients…"

"Well I'm not your client. Why are you so interested in my sister anyway?"

"Because as a detective I think this case could have a positive impact on my reputation," Clay frankly said.

"So it's just for your own gain!? Leave me alone, leave my sister alone! She's already dead, just let her rest in peace!" the young man shouted angrily.

Clay felt annoyed. Why was he so upset? She was just honest with him. Helena suddenly approached the man and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Excuse me mister, my mistress can be too bold sometimes. Worry not, we are not here to take advantage of your sister's death for our own gain. You see, my mistress takes this case very seriously because she knows how it feels to have a relative being killed. All we want is to find the culprit to avoid anyone suffering to the same loss as her, and as you too. You want the bastard who did this to your sister to be arrested, right? That is what we want too. Please, help us avenge your sister, we really need your help."

As she said that, Helena approached her face from his, smiling softly. Clay noticed that the young man was slightly blushing. Clay had no word to describe how she felt about Helena's scheming.

"I...fine, I'll help you. But only because I want the bastard who killed my sister to pay!" he declared. "But really, I don't know much about what happened."

"What was she doing the day she was murdered?" Clay asked.

"She had a date I think. She kept telling me about this man she met, her soulmate she called him. Apparently he was always dressed in white. Some rich guy, I didn't really like that. Rich people usually mock us commoner, so I was afraid he might just be taking advantage of her. Wait...do you think that...he's the culprit!?"

"It's a possibility. After all, for my other case, the victim's husband suspects him to be the culprit," Clay replied.

"I see. Well, if I saw him, be sure I'll beat him down! I hope you or the police will watch this son of a bitch."

"We will do our best. Thanks for your help and sorry for the bother," Helena added.

Both Clay and Helena left the farm, heading to the carriage. Clay noticed that Helena was wiping her hand with a tissue.

"Was touching this man too disgusting for you?"

"It was. I cannot believe I had to touch and even smile to a dirty monkey, thanks to you being too bluntly honest…"

"Unlike you, I am not a liar," Clay replied. "But I admit that I should be cautious, for the sake of my reputation. I have to accept that most people are too emotional."

"So, even if I still doubt that the woman in the carriage accident was killed, it looks like this man in white might be the culprit for this case."

"True. But it could be just a coincidence. We need more proof before accusing him. And I think I have the perfect place to confirm my doubt."

They both reached the carriage where Jackie was waiting for them, ready to bring them to their next destination.

* * *

"Thank you for receiving us, and sorry for your loss," Clay said, trying to look the most sincere she could.

Clay was sitting on a couch, with Helena by her side. In front of them was a young girl who was rather wealthy. She looked sad and her eyes were a little bit reddish, like she had cried earlier. Clay had decided to be the one who spoke with the relative of the other victim, the first woman beaten to death Clay had read about in the newspaper. She couldn't let Helena, a demon with no sympathy, do most of the work again. She had her pride as a human, she had to be the one to understand and comfort her fellow humans, even if it wasn't her strength.

"No, thank you for investigating on my aunt's death," the young girl replied. "Have you...any idea who the culprit is?"

"I am not certain but I do have a suspect in mind, and I would appreciate if you could help me confirming my doubt."

"I will do anything to help you! My aunt...she was the only relative I had left, and this person...took her from me. So please, find this monster."

Clay really appreciated having someone so cooperative.

"Worry not, I will. So, I have one question for you. Was your aunt...seeing someone? Did she has a date before dying?"

"Not from what I know."

"I see. And did she told you about a man who is dressed all in white?"

"Uh? A man in white...yes, I believe she told me about him. Apparently he tried to court her. And he wasn't the only one. My aunt was a really beautiful and gentle woman, really popular with men. She told me this man in white helped her when she received unsolicited attention. But she declined his invitation for a date, because after the death of her husband, my aunt had decided to remain single."

Clay and Helena glanced at each other.

"Do you think...this man in white is the culprit?"

"It is a possibility. You are the third person who told us that the victim had seen this man in white. Thank you for your help, now I know who I should investigate about."

"I am glad that I was of any help. I wish you luck for the rest!"

Clay and Helena left the young girl's manor, going back to their carriage.

"Looks like this man in white is even more suspicious. He is now your prime suspect?" Helena asked.

"For now yes. But I do not like to jump to conclusions too fast, so I still need to investigate. We should go back to the first place we met this man."

* * *

Clay and Helena were back in the tavern where they met the man in white for the first time.

"Are you really sure you want to continue this investigation? I mean, those people you interrogate are not your clients, they did not pay you. What is the point of continuing this investigation when it is obvious that your actual client's wife died in an accident?" Helena asked.

"For my reputation. Imagine if I catch the culprit? People will learn about my agency, they will talk about me in newspapers, and I will have even more clients with exciting cases. Just thinking about it makes my blood boils."

"So you are mostly just enjoying yourself, I see."

"Not only that. I will allow me to gain experience as a detective and more clients, which could get me closer to my true goal. My vengeance. If I become better, I could be able to find who I want to get revenge on. Or I could stumble on a case related to them. So you should be happy about this investigation. After all, it is also getting you closer to your goal. Eating my soul."

"True. But right now your soul is not enough cooked for my taste. I have refined and picky tastes after all," Helena replied with a slight smirk.

"What a gourmet. Anyway, looks like the man in white isn't here today, so we should split up and try to get some information from the customers."

Helena nodded and they split up. While the demon was talking to some customers, Clay went for the bartender, a middle-aged man.

"Excuse me mister, I have a question for you."

The bartender looked at her with confusion.

"What a young girl such as yourself could want from me?" he asked.

"It is about one of your customers, an albino man all dressed in white. I am looking for him. I think his name is Blanchard."

"Uh? That womanizer? Don't tell me you are interested in him. He's flirting with multiple women, he's not a faithful man. A young girl like you certainly deserves better than such a lady killer."

"Ah, I see…," Clay replied, letting the bartender thought he was right to think she was interested in him that way. "But I heard that two of the women he was flirting with died after, so I am worried that he might be involved in this…"

"Nah, probably not. He's just your average womanizer. He actually helped one of those girls who was harassed by a customer here, the last victim I think. He may be a womanizer, but he's also a gentleman."

Clay remained thoughtful. She felt like this information could be useful. But before she could think about it more, Helena suddenly joined her. She softly grabbed her arm and brought her away for other people.

"What? Did you learn something?" Clay asked, a little bit bothered to have been interrupted.

"Yes, milady. One of the customers saw the man in white earlier, a little before we arrived. He left the tavern with a young woman, by the back door."

"Really? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go! A murder may be happening right now!"

* * *

There was a backstreet behind the tavern. Clay and Helena ventured into it, searching for the mysterious man in white.

"I smell blood. Human blood," Helena said, almost gleeful.

"Then lead the way!" Clay ordered.

Helena headed towards the smell, followed by her mistress. They eventually arrived in a dead end, and discovered a woman lying on the ground, all bloody.

"Helena...is she dead?"

"I don't hear her heartbeat, so yes."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them. Clay immediately turned back.

"You! You killed her!" Clay accused.

The man in white was turning his back to them, but Clay could easily recognize him by his incredible whiteness. She noticed that he was carrying a strange object. At first she thought it was a sword, but she then noticed that it has two blades. It was a big pair of scissors.

"Oh my, you were not supposed to see me here. Looks like I am found out," the man in white said.

He then turned back. Clay noticed that he wasn't wearing his jacket. She could see the curves of his body, and realized her mistake.

There never had a man in white to begin with.

Blanchard was a woman.

* * *

 **The man in white was in fact the woman in white!**

 **Is she the culprit? Please let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Been a while since I updated this one. I'm back with a new chapter, and I hope you'll appreciate it**.

* * *

The "man" in white, actually a woman, simply smiled at them. A really charming smile, yet there was something dark about it. Too many teeth were shown. And her eyes looked gleeful, which in the current situation made her look unstable. Helena remained in front of Clay, protective.

"Blanchard...you are actually a woman?" Clay asked.

"Um, why so surprised? I never said I was a man. Are you disappointed? Do you perhaps have a crush on me? Worry not, love knows no barrier, gender is not a problem for me," Blanchard replied in a seductive way.

"But you said you were a gentleman," Clay insisted.

"And? Women can be gentlemen too, no discrimination. Many people told me I should act like a lady, but I knew it wasn't for me. I was born to be a gentleman."

"Pretty sure gentlemen don't kill women," Helena suddenly intervened.

Blanchard suddenly stopped smiling and she looked at the fresh corpse. For a brief moment, Clay thought she was sadness in her eyes until it was replaced by was appeared to be...excitement? A twisted smile appeared on the albino's face, ruining her image as a gentleman.

"Hehe, but I haven't kill her, I swear. Hahaha!"

"Somehow, given your behaviour, I find it strange to believe you," Clay replied.

"Sorry, I'm just getting too excited when beautiful women die. Death is such a beautiful thing, don't you think?" Blanchard replied, slightly blushing.

"I can relate to that and I am not sure I like it," Helena said.

Suddenly, Blanchard made a white hat appeared and put it on her head. She smiled happily, with an insane look in her eyes.

"I think I should probably introduce myself properly. My name is actually Blanche, nice to meet you, young lady," she said with a seductive voice, before looking with despise at Helena. "and the thing over there."

Clay found her reaction to Helena stranged. Blanchard, or rather Blanche, seemed to treat all women with respect, then why calling Helena a thing? Unless she knew about her real identity, but how? Clay decided that there was more important things to think about, like the case.

"Enough with the useless talk, you killed that woman don't you?" Clay accused.

As a response, Blanche giggled madly. It only made her seemed more suspicious to Clay's eyes. But then, she noticed that a detail didn't add up.

"Milady, would you like me to take care of this...gentleman?" Helena proposed.

"Wait...something is odd. The corpse...is all bloody. A lot of blood must have splashed. And Blanche...she's dressed all in white. Yet she had no blood stain on her, and neither on her weapon! It means... it does not make sense for her to be the culprit," Clay concluded.

Blanche chuckled at this, but she seemed less crazy than before.

"Pretty smart, young lady. As I say, I am not the culprit."

"I am a detective after all, of course, I would notice that type of details. But still, your presence here is suspicious, as well as the strange weapon you are carrying. Care to tell us what are you doing here?" Clay asked.

Blanche didn't answer. She was just smiling, much to Clay's annoyance. She didn't like when people don't answer her question. She then noticed something. The albino's eyes...weren't completely red anymore. Part of them were chartreuse phosphorescent, while the center remained red.

"Blanche...what are you?" Clay asked.

"Hehehe, I'm pretty sure the thing next to you can answer this," the albino replied with an enigmnatic smile.

Clay turned to Helena, hoping to have an explanation from her.

"I met some of your kind in the past. It never went well. You are a shinigami, don't you?" Helena said.

"Shinigami?" Clay asked.

"Grim Reaper. They reap the soul of humans when they die. And they record their life like a bunch of voyeurs...They use a scythe do to so. I suppose those big scissors are your scythe, right?"

Blanche grinned as she showed them her scissors, opening them and closing them multiple time.

"Um, you are right. I am a shinigami, and this is my scythe. Pretty isn't it? I have always been fond of scissoring, if you know what I mean, hahaha!"

If felt so weird for Clay to see Blanche act like such a madwoman, considering her previous gentlemanly attitude. Was it just an act? Or was she acting right now? Which one was the real Blanche? But she considered it wasn't that important. She had to understand what her presence on the crime scene and her connection with the past victims meant.

"Blanche, you reap souls, don't you? What does it mean? Why all the victims met you before dying?" Clay asked.

"Um, are you not suppose to be a detective? I am sure you can figure it out yourself," the shinigami replied with a smirk.

Clay didn't like her tone of voice. It felt like she was mocking her. The detective had the urge to prove her she was smart enough to get it. So she thought about it, forcing her brain cells to cooperate. A shinigami reaped souls...the victims all saw her before dying...then it meant…

"The victims all saw you because they were meant to die, isn't? You were simply waiting for them to get killed so you could reap their soul. And that woman who died in an accident...she was not murdered, but she was still fated to die, so you went after her. You are not the culprit, but you witness all the murder of whoever killed those women," Clay concluded.

"People close to death are able to see shinigami," Helena explained. "You are able to see her because you have made a deal with a demon."

"This is why I was so surprised when this young lady came to see me at that bar. Her name was not on my list, yet she was able to see me. Then I understood when I saw you with that thing. What a shame, we will not be able to reap your soul, it will be eaten by some dirty demon," Blanche said with disgust before she smiled dreamily. "Yet, I am kind of envious of you, demon. Eating souls seem fun. I always wondered what a human soul taste like."

"Awful. I hate it," Helena replied coldly.

"Aww, from all demon I could have met, I met one who does not like human souls. How unlucky I am. Well, I guess I will just have to keep doing my job. Reaping women's soul is my guilty pleasure. I like to witness their death, so beautiful. And then the feeling of reaping their soul, so wonderful. And when I record it, I can see their life. I feel like I am being one with them, it is truly marvellous."

Clay suddenly felt a deep antipathy for Blanche. What she was saying disgusted her. She understood the truth behind the fact all the victims saw her before dying.

"You...you knew they were going to die. And you decided to toy with them. You get close to them, just because you knew you would reap their soul. You have the ability to know when someone will die, yet you just watch them die and enjoy it. You are despicable!" Clay exclaimed.

"Well, it is not like I have a choice. This is my job. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying our work."

"Still, even me would not simply sit when I know someone is about to die, if I have the ability to prevent it I would. You shinigamis are...disgusting. You witnessed...every single death without doing anything. My mother...people like you let her died!"

Blanche stopped smiling. It looked like what Clay said reopened an old wound, her eyes looked so sad. But the detective didn't care. She was so mad at her that she couldn't care less about her feelings. To her, the shinigami was just a voyeur who enjoyed toying with human's lives. The type of people she hated.

"Death is natural. We cannot stop it. It is our duty to make sure the natural order is respected," Blanche replied stoically.

"I do not care. You are still despicable," Clay replied with animosity.

"Milady, would you like me to take her down?" Helena proposed, pulling out a hunting knife.

"Ohoh, wanna fight? I never fight a demon before, looks interesting. Usually, I do not hurt ladies, but you do not really count as a woman. So I will make an exception and cut you to pieces, demon!"

Blanche held her scissors like it was a sword. Helena took an offensive posture, ready to strike. Both looked at each other with hostility, ready to fight. But before they could, Clay got between them.

"It will not be necessary, Helena. This person is not the culprit. We should not lose enough precious time on that useless trash."

"Ouch, that hurt," Blanche replied with a smile that seemed sad.

"I suppose you know who the culprit is but will not tell us?" Clay added.

"Nope! After all, if they have to kill again, I cannot stop them. I am just here to reap the victims' souls."

"So you are really useless. Please do not appear in front of me ever again. You already made me lost too much time," Clay said coldly. "I would like to investigate the corpse without your unpleasant presence."

Blanche looked at her, again with this sad smile.

"Of course, young lady. I would not want to put you uncomfortable. I will leave. Sorry for the inconvenience," the albino said, regaining her original gentlemanly attitude. She then disappeared.

Clay felt frustrated by this encounter. She really disliked this person, but couldn't help to wonder why she looked so sad. She decided that it didn't matter. That woman was repulsive and she shouldn't think about her. What mattered was the corpse. Clay approached the recent victim and started to investigate her body, searching for any clue leading to the real culprit.

* * *

Clay was sipping her tea, thinking about her case. She lost her prime suspect, but she still felt excited about it. No matter how hard it is, she'll not give up. This case was her chance to finally make herself known as a detective, and she liked challenges. She was determined to find the culprit and stop them.

"Clay, is everything okay?"

The young girl put her cup on the table and turned back.

"Al, you are here. Um, everything is fine. I was just thinking about this case."

"About that murder who killed those women? Have you find anything new?" Alphonse asked.

"Not really. I had a potential suspect in mind but turns out she was innocent. I managed to investigate the latest victim's corpse but I found nothing. She was beaten to death like the previous one, she died of internal bleeding."

Sadness, as well as anger, could be read in the young man's eyes.

"The culprit...I'll never forgive him. Daring to beat a woman, how distasteful. If anything happens to you, or Helena, or even Estelle and Jackie, I wouldn't forgive myself. I will protect you."

Clay couldn't help but smile. She felt kind of moved by her half-brother desire to protect them, even if she knew it wasn't necessary. With a demon as a maid, Clay was already enough protected.

"Thanks Al. But no need to worry, we can take care of ourselves. Do not underestimate me."

"I am not. I am just worried for you. Especially after what happened at the bar with that man who was courting you."

"Um, yes, him...um…"

Clay felt like there was something important about that but before she could think about it, she heard voices approaching the dining room.

"Miss Clay, I have finished to reorganizing the library. I had to because _someone_ messed with my classification….again," Estelle said as she entered the room.

"I just searched for a book and you weren't there, it's not that bad," Jackie said, following the secretary.

"Not that bad? You trashed the entire library! There were books everywhere on the floor!" Estelle exclaimed.

"Ah come one, you're exaggerating. There weren't that much."

"The floor was covered in books! And why were you looking for a book? Can you even read?"

"How rude! Of course...okay no I don't know. But it doesn't mean I can't appreciate the pictures."

"Estelle, Jackie, this is not good to fight. Especially not among comrade," Alphonse reprimanded.

"And Estelle, you love to organize stuff," Clay added.

The secretary blushed a little at this statement.

"You're right. I love that."

Jackie rolled her eyes and sighed. Helena came back, bringing the newspaper to Clay, who immediately start to read it, looking for something specific. When she found it she slightly smile.

"That's the last victim. Same modus operandi than the other victims. Probably the same killer. Due to the brutal way they are killed, I suppose the culprit has a personal grudge against those women, or women in general. Probably a man. Young or middle-aged. Unpopular with women. This is his way to get revenge on them for rejecting him. So there is a high chance he knew those women and they rejected him," Clay theorized.

"Oh, impressive. You know all that just by analyzing the murders?" Alphonse exclaimed.

"Obviously. I'm a detective after all."

"So we're looking for some loser, gotcha," Jackie replied. "Reminds me of that guy who tried to hit on you at the bar."

"Such man disgusts me. No wonder he's unpopular with women," Estelle commented.

Suddenly, something clicked inside Clay's head, thanks to one of her employees. She may have found a new lead regarding this case, and she knew where to look for.

* * *

 **What Clay had understood? Please let me know your thought!**


End file.
